I’ve fired one of America’s most powerful lasers—here’s what a shot day looks like

The Texas Petawatt (TPW), one of the most powerful lasers in the U.S., was operated at the University of Texas at Austin but is now closed due to funding cuts. It was part of LaserNetUS, a Department of Energy network of high-power laser labs, where scientists conducted experiments by amplifying laser pulses to create brief, high-energy discharges.